WO2018042829A1 - Toothbrush and system - Google Patents

Abstract

This toothbrush comprises: a main body, further comprising a head part which includes an erect bristle surface whereupon bristles are disposed in an upright state; a light emitting part which is mounted upon the main body and which irradiates light toward a tooth surface via a specific region among the erect bristle surface; and photoreceptor parts which are mounted upon the main body and which receive reflected light from the tooth surface via said specific region, said reflected light being produced by said irradiated light. The toothbrush further comprises a detection unit (S2, S3) which, on the basis of an output of the photoreceptor parts, simultaneously detects the presence or absence of the plaque or the tartar upon the tooth surface. The toothbrush further comprises an assessment unit (S5) which, when a state of the detection of presence of the plaque or the tartar which is performed by the detection unit has continued for a predetermined interval from the commencement of brushing with regard to the tooth surface, assesses that the tartar is present upon the tooth surface.

Description

Toothbrush and system

The present invention relates to a toothbrush, and more particularly to irradiating light on a tooth surface, and based on the emitted light (particularly fluorescence) from the tooth surface, the presence of plaque and / or calculus on the tooth surface. The present invention relates to a toothbrush that detects presence or absence.

The present invention also relates to a system including such a toothbrush.

Conventionally, as this type of plaque detection device, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-515276), biological deposits (plaque, bacteria, calculus, calculus, etc.) It is known to detect the presence or absence of biological deposits on the test tooth surface by comparing the intensity of fluorescence from the tooth surface without) and the intensity of fluorescence from the test tooth surface.

Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2002-515276

By the way, dental plaque is a lump of bacteria and metabolites, and tartar is the one in which plaque gradually changes and deposits on the tooth surface, so it is difficult to completely distinguish both as substances. Simply put, it is the tartar that can not be removed by brushing between plaque and tartar.

Here, when the presence or absence of biological deposits on the tooth surface is simply detected based on the intensity of fluorescence as in Patent Document 1, the presence or absence of plaque and calculus can be collectively detected. And calculus cannot be distinguished from each other. For this reason, assuming that the brushing is continued according to the detection result of the presence of biological deposits, even if the plaque has already been removed and only the tartar remains, the user can brush the toothpaste. Will continue. As a result, there is a risk of over-polishing, scratching the gums, bleeding, and periodontal disease.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush that can determine whether or not plaque has been removed from plaque and calculus and only the calculus remains.

Also, an object of the present invention is to provide a system including such a toothbrush.

In order to solve the above problems, the toothbrush of the present invention is
A main body including a head portion having a raised surface on which bristles are erected;
A light emitting unit mounted on the main body and irradiating light through a specific region of the raised surface toward the tooth surface; and a light receiving unit receiving light emitted from the tooth surface by the light through the specific region;
Based on the output of the light receiving unit, a detection unit that collectively detects the presence or absence of plaque or calculus on the tooth surface;
A determination unit for determining the presence of calculus on the tooth surface when the detection state of the presence of plaque or calculus by the detection unit continues for a predetermined period from the start of brushing on the tooth surface; Features.

Here, “collectively” detecting the presence or absence of plaque or calculus is detected as “present” if at least one of plaque and calculus is present, and both plaque and calculus are present. If it does not exist, it means that it is detected as “absence”.

Further, the “predetermined period” from the start of brushing is set, for example, within a range of 3 seconds to 5 seconds, but is not limited thereto.

In the toothbrush of the present invention, the light emitting part irradiates light toward the tooth surface through a specific region of the raised surface. The light receiving unit receives the emitted light from the tooth surface by the light through a specific region. Based on the output of the light receiving unit, the detection unit is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-515276) or the patent application previously proposed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-06001). The presence or absence of plaque or calculus on the tooth surface is collectively detected by the above-described method. Furthermore, when the detection state of presence of plaque or calculus by the detection unit continues for a predetermined period from the start of brushing on the tooth surface, the determination unit determines that calculus is present on the tooth surface. The reason for this determination is that, as described above, the dental plaque and calculus that cannot be removed by brushing is calculus, so the detection state of the presence of dental plaque or calculus by the detection unit is relative to the tooth surface. This is because it can be considered that only the tartar remains when the brushing has continued for a predetermined period. Therefore, according to this toothbrush, it is possible to determine whether or not plaque has been removed from the plaque and calculus, and only the calculus remains. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk that the gums will be excessively polished and the gums will be damaged and bleed or become periodontal.

In addition, it is desirable that the hair is omitted in the “specific region” of the raised surface.

The toothbrush according to an embodiment is characterized in that the detection unit and the determination unit are mounted on the main body.

In the toothbrush of this one embodiment, the detection unit and the determination unit are mounted on the main body. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not the plaque is removed from the plaque and the calculus by only the elements mounted on the main body, and only the calculus remains. Thereby, the optical fiber, wiring, etc. which extend outside from this toothbrush can be omitted. In such a case, when the user brushes his / her teeth with the toothbrush, there is no obstruction and the user can easily brush his / her teeth.

In one embodiment of the toothbrush,
A drive unit that vibrates the head unit for brushing together with the bristles is mounted inside the main body,
When the determination unit determines that tartar is present on the tooth surface, the control unit includes a control unit that performs control to reduce the intensity of vibration by the driving unit.

In the toothbrush of this embodiment, when the determination unit determines that tartar is present on the tooth surface, the control unit performs control to reduce the intensity of vibration by the driving unit. Therefore, the possibility of being overpolished can be further reduced.

The toothbrush according to an embodiment includes a notification unit that notifies a detection state by the detection unit or a determination result by the determination unit.

Here, “notification” by the notification unit widely includes sounding of a buzzer sound, lighting or blinking of a lamp, display on a display screen, and the like.

In the toothbrush of this embodiment, the notification unit notifies the detection state by the detection unit or the determination result by the determination unit. Therefore, the user can easily know the presence or absence of plaque or calculus on the tooth surface, or the presence of calculus on the tooth surface.

It should be noted that the detection state notification by the detection unit is preferably different from the determination result notification by the determination unit. For example, when the presence or absence of plaque or calculus as a detection state by the detection unit is notified by turning on / off the lamp, the notification of “the presence of calculus” as the determination result by the determination unit is “buzzer sound” It is desirable to be performed by “ringing”. Accordingly, the user can easily distinguish and recognize the notification of the detection state (existence of plaque or calculus) by the detection unit and the notification of the determination result (existence of calculus) by the determination unit.

In one embodiment of the toothbrush, when the determination unit determines that there is calculus on the tooth surface, or when the detection state by the detection unit transitions from the presence of plaque or calculus to the absence, The notification unit performs notification for prompting a change in a brushing part brushed with the hair in the dentition.

Here, the “brushing part” refers to a part that is brushed with the above-described hairs (the hair is hit) among a plurality of parts defined by dividing the surface of the dentition in the oral cavity.

When the user determines that there is a tartar on the tooth surface while the user is brushing a brushing part, the tartar cannot be removed even if the brushing is continued further. Should finish brushing the brushing part and brush the other part. In addition, when the user is brushing a brushing site and the detection state of the detection unit transitions from the presence of plaque or calculus to the absence of plaque, there is no plaque or calculus at the brushing site. As a result, the user should finish brushing the brushing part and brush the other part. Therefore, in the toothbrush of this embodiment, when the determination unit determines that there is calculus on the tooth surface, or the detection state by the detection unit transitions from the presence of plaque or calculus to the absence of calculus. At this time, the notification unit performs notification that prompts the user to change the brushing portion brushed with the hair in the dentition. By this notification, the user is prompted to finish, for example, the brushing of the current brushing part and to brush the other part. Therefore, the possibility of being overpolished can be further reduced.

In one embodiment of the toothbrush,
A brushing site detector for detecting a brushing site brushed with the hair in the dentition;
For each brushing part, a storage unit is provided for storing data indicating whether or not there is tartar on the tooth surface by the determination unit.

In the toothbrush of this one embodiment, the brushing site detector detects the brushing site brushed with the bristles in the dentition. A memory | storage part memorize | stores the data showing whether the said calculus exists on the said tooth surface by the said determination part for every said brushing site | part. Therefore, by referring to the data in the storage unit, the user can recognize, for example, in which part of the dentition in his / her mouth the tartar remains.

The toothbrush according to an embodiment includes a communication unit capable of transmitting data stored in the storage unit to the outside of the main body.

In the toothbrush of this one embodiment, the data stored in the storage unit can be transmitted to the outside of the main body by the communication unit. Thereby, the data from the said memory | storage part of the said toothbrush can be utilized for various uses.

In another aspect, the system of the invention comprises:
A system comprising the toothbrush and a computer device provided outside the body of the toothbrush,
The computer device is
A communication unit capable of receiving data from the storage unit of the toothbrush;
A display processing unit that processes the data from the storage unit and creates an image representing a portion of the dentition having tartar;
And a display for displaying the image created by the display processing unit.

Here, the “computer device” may be substantially a computer device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal regardless of the name.

In the system of the present invention, the communication unit of the computer device receives data from the storage unit of the toothbrush. The display processing unit processes the data from the storage unit and creates an image representing a portion where tartar is present in the dentition. The display device displays the image created by the display processing unit. The user who sees this image can intuitively recognize the site where tartar is present in his / her own dentition. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to see a dentist and receive treatment.

As is clear from the above, according to the toothbrush of the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not plaque has been removed from the plaque and calculus, and only the calculus remains.

Further, according to the system of the present invention, the user can intuitively recognize the site where tartar is present in his / her own dentition.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are views showing the appearance of an electric toothbrush according to an embodiment of the present invention obliquely viewed from opposite sides. FIG. 2A is a view showing a longitudinal section when the electric toothbrush is cut along the longitudinal direction. FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the head portion during tooth brushing. It is a figure which shows the block configuration of the control system of the said electric toothbrush. It is a flowchart explaining the 1st operation example by the said electric toothbrush. It is a flowchart explaining the 2nd operation example by the said electric toothbrush. FIG. 6A shows a ratio A ′ between the first output value ΔOUT1 and the second output value ΔOUT2 for enamel, resin, metal teeth, artificial teeth (ceramic or plastic), tartar, and plaque. FIG. FIG. 6B shows the difference B ′ between the second output value ΔOUT2 and the first output value ΔOUT1 for enamel, resin, metal teeth, artificial teeth (ceramic or plastic), tartar, and plaque. FIG. It is a figure which shows 12 site | parts in the dentition in an oral cavity. It is a figure which illustrates the composition of the system containing the above-mentioned electric toothbrush and a smart phone. It is a figure which illustrates the intraoral chart displayed on the indicator of the said smart phone. It is a figure which shows the example of a display by which the intraoral chart of FIG. 9 was reversed left and right.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Configuration of electric toothbrush)
1 (A) and 1 (B) show the appearance of an electric toothbrush (indicated by reference numeral 90 as a whole) of one embodiment in which the plaque detection device of the present invention is incorporated, obliquely from opposite sides. It shows what you see. The electric toothbrush 90 includes a head portion 4 on which bristles 210 are erected, a grip portion 5 to be gripped by a hand, and a neck portion 3 that connects the head portion 4 and the grip portion 5. The head portion 4 and the neck portion 3 are integrally configured as a brush member 2 that can be attached to and detached from the grip portion 5. The head portion 4, the neck portion 3, and the grip portion 5 are collectively referred to as a main body 1. The main body 1 has an elongated shape in one direction for the convenience of brushing teeth. Note that a charger 100 is shown in FIG.

FIG. 2A shows a longitudinal section when the electric toothbrush 90 is cut along the longitudinal direction. The grip portion 5 has a stem 6 provided so as to protrude from the outer casing of the grip portion 5 toward the neck portion 3 side. The stem 6 has a cylindrical shape with a closed tip. In this example, the neck portion 3 of the brush member 2 is fitted and mounted so as to cover the stem 6. Since the brush member 2 is a consumable part, it is configured to be detachable from the grip portion 5 so that it can be replaced with a new one. On one surface (raised surface) 4a of the head portion 4 of the brush member 2, bristles (brushes) 210 are erected so as to protrude from the raised surface 4a by about 10 mm to 12 mm by flocking in this example. The hair 210 may be welded or bonded instead of flocking.

A power switch S for turning on / off the power is provided on the outer surface of the grip portion 5 of the main body 1. Further, inside the grip portion 5, a motor 10 as a drive source, a drive circuit 12, a rechargeable battery 13 as a power supply portion, a charging coil 14, an acceleration sensor 15, and the like are provided. When charging the rechargeable battery 13, the battery 1 can be charged in a non-contact manner by electromagnetic induction only by placing the main body 1 on the charger 100 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a bearing 203 is provided inside the stem 6. The tip of the eccentric shaft 30 connected to the rotating shaft 11 of the motor 10 is inserted into the bearing 203. The eccentric shaft 30 has a weight 300 in the vicinity of the bearing 203, and the center of gravity of the eccentric shaft 30 is deviated from the center of rotation. When the drive circuit 12 supplies a drive signal (for example, a pulse width modulation signal) according to the operation mode to the motor 10 and rotates the rotating shaft 11 of the motor 10, the eccentric shaft 30 also rotates with the rotation of the rotating shaft 11. . Since the center of gravity of the eccentric shaft 30 is deviated from the center of rotation, the eccentric shaft 30 moves around the center of rotation. Therefore, the tip of the eccentric shaft 30 repeatedly collides with the inner wall of the bearing 203, and the bristles 210 are vibrated (moved) at high speed.

In the raised surface 4a of the head part 4, the hair is omitted in the specific area 4c at the substantially center. Inside the head region 4 corresponding to the specific area 4c, a light emitting unit 50, a first light receiving unit 51, and a second light receiving unit 52 are arranged side by side. A portion (outer housing) including at least the specific region 4c in the raised surface 4a of the head portion 4 is made of a transparent resin material having a thickness of about 1 mm to 3 mm.

2B, the light emitting unit 50 includes a light emitting diode that emits excitation light L having a peak wavelength corresponding to ultraviolet or blue toward the tooth surface 99a through the specific region 4c. This light-emitting diode is an LED (model number SM0603UV-405) manufactured by Bivar in this example, and generates light L having a peak wavelength of 405 nm.

The first light receiving unit 51 receives the radiated light L ′ from the tooth surface 99a through the specific region 4c, and transmits the spectral component only in the first wavelength region of the radiated light L ′. And a first photodiode 51D that receives the spectral component of only the first wavelength band that has passed through the first optical filter member 51F. In this example, the first optical filter member 51F is a long-pass filter (model number LV0610) manufactured by Asahi Spectroscopic Co., Ltd., and transmits light having a wavelength of 620 nm or more as the first wavelength region, while having a wavelength of less than 620 nm. Blocks light (high pass type). In this example, the first photodiode 51D is a PD (Photo Diode) (model number NJL6401R-3) manufactured by New Japan Radio Co., Ltd.

The second light receiving unit 52 receives the radiated light L ′ from the tooth surface 99a through the specific region 4c, and transmits the spectral component only in the second wavelength region of the radiated light L ′. And a second photodiode 52D that receives the spectral component of only the second wavelength band that has passed through the second optical filter member 52F. In this example, the second optical filter member 52F is a long-pass filter (model number LV0550) manufactured by Asahi Spectroscopic Co., Ltd., and transmits light having a wavelength of 550 nm or more as the second wavelength region, while having a wavelength of less than 550 nm. Blocks light (high pass type). Similar to the first photodiode 51D, the second photodiode 52D is composed of PD (Photo Diode) (model number NJL6401R-3) manufactured by New Japan Radio Co., Ltd. in this example.

The light emitting unit 50, the first light receiving unit 51, and the second light receiving unit 52 are respectively connected via the lead wire 31, the contact terminal 32, and the spring-like terminal 33 shown in FIG. Are electrically connected to the drive circuit 12.

The first light receiving unit 51 and the second light receiving unit 52 may each be formed of a phototransistor instead of a photodiode. Further, in the specific region 4c, a portion through which the excitation light L from the light emitting unit 50 passes may be different from a portion through which the radiated light L ′ from the tooth surface 99a passes.

In this example, the acceleration sensor 15 shown in FIG. 2A is a multi-axis (here, x, y, z three-axis) acceleration sensor. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the x-axis is parallel to the brush surface (the surface parallel to the raised surface 4a formed by the tip of the hair 210), and the y-axis is the longitudinal length of the main body 1. The z axis is set to be perpendicular to the brush surface. That is, when the main body 1 is placed on the charger 100, the gravitational acceleration vector is parallel to the y-axis, and when the brush surface is directed upward, the gravitational acceleration vector is parallel to the z-axis. When the brush surface is oriented horizontally, the gravitational acceleration vector becomes parallel to the x axis. The output of each axis of the acceleration sensor 15 is input to the control unit 110 to be described later, and a brushing portion (for example, a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-139844, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-42906, etc.) This is used to detect (described later).

As the acceleration sensor 15, a piezoresistive type, capacitance type, or heat detection type MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) sensor can be preferably used. This is because the MEMS sensor is very small and can be easily incorporated into the body 1. However, the form of the acceleration sensor 15 is not limited to this, and an electrodynamic sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, or the like may be used. Although not particularly illustrated, it is preferable to provide a correction circuit for correcting the sensitivity balance of the sensors of each axis, temperature characteristics of sensitivity, temperature drift, and the like. Further, a band pass filter (low pass filter) for removing dynamic acceleration components and noise may be provided. Further, noise may be reduced by smoothing the output waveform of the acceleration sensor.

FIG. 3 shows a block configuration of a control system of the electric toothbrush 90. Inside the grip portion 5 of the electric toothbrush 90, in addition to the acceleration sensor 15, the control unit 110, the storage unit 115, the operation unit 130, the notification unit 140, and the communication unit 180 that form the drive circuit 12 described above. And a power supply unit 170. The drive unit 101 represents the motor 10, the rotary shaft 11, the eccentric shaft 30, the bearing 203, and the weight 300 described above.

The control unit 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that is operated by software. In addition to driving the motor 10, the control unit 110 performs processing for determining the presence or absence of plaque or calculus on the tooth surface 99a, and various other processing. Execute. The control unit 110 has a built-in timer that counts time.

The operation unit 130 includes the power switch S described above, and works for the user to turn on / off the power of the electric toothbrush 90.

In this example, the storage unit 115 includes an EEPROM (electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory) that can store data non-temporarily. The storage unit 115 stores a control program for controlling the control unit 110. In this example, the storage unit 115 stores data indicating the presence or absence of plaque and / or calculus for each part in the dentition (this is referred to as “plaque / calculus data”) as a table. (See below).

In this example, the notification unit 140 includes a red LED lamp 140R and a green LED lamp 140G (see FIG. 1A), and notifies the presence or absence of plaque or tartar by turning on and off the LED lamps 140R and 140G. . Furthermore, the notification unit 140 may include a buzzer (not shown), and may notify the presence or absence of plaque or calculus by sounding a buzzer sound. Instead of or in addition to them, the presence or absence of plaque or tartar may be notified by switching the vibration of the motor 10 between a strong level and a weak level.

The communication unit 180 is controlled by the control unit 110 to transmit predetermined information to an external device via a network, or receives information from an external device as an input unit via the network and receives the control unit 110. Or hand it over. In this example, communication via this network is wireless communication (for example, BT (Bluetooth (registered trademark)) communication, BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) low energy) communication). The network is typically a home LAN (Local Area Network) or a hospital LAN, but is not limited thereto, and may be the Internet.

The power supply unit 170 includes the rechargeable battery 13 described above, and supplies power (in this example, DC 2.4 V) to each unit in the electric toothbrush 90.

(First operation example)
FIG. 4 illustrates a flow of processing in which the control unit 110 of the electric toothbrush 90 determines the presence or absence of plaque and / or calculus on the tooth surface 99a. In the electric toothbrush 90, when the user turns on the power switch S, the control unit 110 rotates the motor 10 to vibrate the bristles 210.

When the power switch S is turned on, in step S1 of FIG. 4, the control unit 110 sets a timer that counts a predetermined period Δt from the start of brushing the tooth surface 99a. The set period Δt set in this timer is a period for determining whether or not only the tartar remains among the plaque and the tartar on the tooth surface 99a (described later). In this example, the set period Δt is set within a range of 3 seconds to 5 seconds to prevent over-polishing.

Subsequently, in step S2 of FIG. 4, the control unit 110 functions as a detection unit, and in this example, the tooth is toothed by the technique disclosed in the patent application previously proposed by the applicant (Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-06001). The presence or absence of plaque or calculus on the surface 99a is collectively detected.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2B, the light emitting unit 50 is turned on, and the excitation light L is irradiated from the light emitting unit 50 toward the tooth surface 99a through the specific region 4c. In response, radiation light L ′ is emitted from the tooth surface 99a. The emitted light L ′ is received by the first light receiving unit 51 and the second light receiving unit 52 through the specific region 4 c. The output of the first light receiving unit 51 and the output of the second light receiving unit 52 are input to the control unit 110 as the first output value OUT1 and the second output value OUT2.

Subsequently, the control unit 110 functions as a zero point correction unit, and the components (that is, the light emitting unit 50) of the ambient light Lb around the tooth surface 99a are respectively obtained from the first output value OUT1 and the second output value OUT2. Correction is performed by subtracting the first output value OUT1b and the second output value OUT2b) when off. Specifically, as the corrected first output value ΔOUT1 and second output value ΔOUT2, the difference ΔOUT1 = OUT1-OUT1b, respectively.
ΔOUT2 = OUT2-OUT2b
Is calculated.

Here, FIG. 6A shows a ratio A ′ between the first output value ΔOUT1 and the second output value ΔOUT2. In this example, for the ratio A ′,
A ′ = ΔOUT1 / ΔOUT2
It is defined as follows. In FIG. 6A and later-described FIG. 6B, the bars arranged in the horizontal direction correspond to samples of enamel, resin, metal teeth, artificial teeth (ceramic or plastic), tartar, and plaque. Yes. As can be seen from FIG. 6A, the group consisting of enamel, resin, and artificial teeth (ceramic or plastic) has a ratio A ′ of generally less than 0.35. On the other hand, the group consisting of metal teeth, calculus, and plaque has a ratio A ′ generally larger than 0.35. Therefore, by determining whether the ratio A ′ and the first threshold value α ′ = 0.35 are large or small, a group consisting of enamel, resin, artificial teeth (ceramic or plastic), and metal teeth, calculus and plaque are included. A group can be distinguished and identified.

Similarly, FIG. 6B shows a difference B ′ between the first output value ΔOUT1 and the second output value ΔOUT2. In this example, for the difference B ′,
B '= ΔOUT2-ΔOUT1
It is defined as follows. As can be seen from FIG. 6B, the group of metal teeth has a difference B ′ of generally less than 100,000 (au). On the other hand, the group consisting of enamel, resin, artificial teeth (ceramic or plastic), tartar, and plaque has a difference B ′ of generally greater than 100,000 (au). Therefore, by determining the magnitude of the difference B ′ and the second threshold β ′ = 100,000 (au), a group consisting of metal teeth, enamel, resin, artificial teeth (ceramic or plastic), It can be distinguished from the group consisting of tartar and plaque.

In this way, the magnitude determination result between the ratio A ′ and the first threshold value α ′ in FIG. 6A and the magnitude between the difference B ′ and the second threshold value β ′ in FIG. Whether or not the substance present on the tooth surface 99a is plaque or calculus is determined by the combination with the determination result.

It should be noted that tartar is a substance in which plaque gradually changes and is deposited on the tooth surface, so it is difficult to completely distinguish the two as substances. This is why “calculus (and plaque)” is described in FIGS. 6 (A) and 6 (B).

In this way, the control unit 110 collectively detects the presence or absence of plaque or calculus. That is, if there is at least one of plaque and calculus, it is detected as “present”, and if there is no plaque or calculus, it is detected as “not present”.

Here, when it is determined that plaque or tartar is present (YES in step S3 in FIG. 4), the process proceeds to step S4, and the control unit 110, for example, the instantaneous red LED lamp 140R (for example, 0) by the notification unit 140, for example. .. 3 seconds. The same shall apply hereinafter.) Lights up to indicate the presence of plaque or calculus.

Next, in step S5 of FIG. 4, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the set period Δt set in the timer has elapsed. If the set period Δt has not elapsed (NO in step S5 in FIG. 4), the processes in steps S2 to S5 are repeated.

After that, when the set period Δt set in the timer elapses while the detection state of the presence of plaque or calculus (YES in step S3 in FIG. 4) is maintained in step S3 in FIG. 4 (step in FIG. 4). In S5, YES), the control unit 110 works as a determination unit, and determines that tartar is present on the tooth surface 99a.

The reason for such determination is that, as described above, the plaque and tartar that cannot be removed by brushing is tartar, so the detection state of the presence of plaque or tartar is set from the start of brushing on the tooth surface 99a. This is because when the period Δt continues, it can be considered that only tartar remains. Therefore, according to the electric toothbrush 90, it is possible to determine whether or not plaque has been removed from the plaque and calculus, and only the calculus remains.

Subsequently, in step S6 of FIG. 4, the control unit 110 notifies the presence of tartar by, for example, an instantaneous buzzer sound by the notification unit 140. Thus, in this example, the notification of the presence of tartar (step S6 in FIG. 4) is different from the notification of the presence of plaque or tartar (step S4 in FIG. 4). Thus, the user can easily distinguish and recognize the notification of the presence of plaque or calculus and the notification of the presence of calculus. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk that the gums will be excessively polished and the gums will be damaged and bleed or become periodontal.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S3 in FIG. 4 that there is no plaque or calculus (NO in step S3 in FIG. 4), the control unit 110 causes plaque to be generated by instantaneously lighting the green LED lamp 140G by the notification unit 140. After notifying that there is no calculus, the processes in steps S1 and S2 in FIG. 4 are repeated. Then, when the user turns off the power switch S in step S7 of FIG. 4, the control unit 110 ends the process.

In this electric toothbrush 90, a control unit 110 that functions as a detection unit and a determination unit is mounted on the grip unit 5 of the main body 1. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not only the elements mounted on the main body 1 have removed plaque from the plaque and calculus, and only the calculus remains. Thereby, the optical fiber, wiring, etc. which extend outside from this electric toothbrush 90 can be omitted. Therefore, when the user brushes his / her teeth with the electric toothbrush 90, there is no obstacle and the user can easily brush his / her teeth.

(Second operation example)
Depending on the type of teeth (maxillary / mandibular, molar / incisor, etc.) and part (lingual / buccal, tooth / mating surface, etc.), the way plaque and tartar are applied. Therefore, it is desirable to detect the presence or absence of dental plaque and / or calculus for each site in the dentition.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper and lower dentitions are represented by “maxillary front lip side”, “maxillary anterior palate side”, “maxillary left cheek side”, “maxillary left palate side”, “maxillary right cheek side”. ”,“ Maxillary right palate side ”,“ mandibular anterior lip side ”,“ mandibular anterior tongue side ”,“ mandibular left buccal side ”,“ mandibular left lingual side ”,“ mandibular right buccal side ”,“ mandibular right lingual side ” Are divided into 12 parts. However, the division of the dentition is not limited to this, and may be a finer division. For example, each tooth may be divided, each tooth may be divided into left and right halves, and upper, lower, left, and right meshing surfaces may be divided into one part.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow of processing in which the control unit 110 of the electric toothbrush 90 determines the presence or absence of plaque and / or calculus for each part in such a dentition. In the electric toothbrush 90, when the user turns on the power switch S, the control unit 110 rotates the motor 10 to vibrate the bristles 210. In this example, it is assumed that the vibration intensity of the motor 10 is first set to a weak level.

When the power switch S is turned on, in step S11 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 functions as a brushing site detection unit and is currently brushed by the hair 210 of the head unit 4 among 12 sites in the dentition. The part (this is called the “brushing part”) is detected.

Specifically, the control unit 110 uses a known method (for example, a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2011-139844 and 2013-42906) based on the output of each axis of the acceleration sensor 15. To detect the current brushing site. Note that it is desirable to detect whether or not the hair 210 is hitting the brushing site by providing a load sensor in the main body 1 for detecting the brush pressure (load acting on the hair 210).

Next, in step S12 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 refers to the plaque / calculus data table set in the storage unit 115, and information on the presence / absence of calculus is already recorded for the current brushing site. Judge whether or not. At the start of a single brushing (for example, a user action that takes a certain period of time such as a maximum of 3 minutes), it is assumed that plaque / calculus data has not yet been recorded for each part (see FIG. 5). NO in step S12).

Table 1 below illustrates a table of plaque / tartar data set in the storage unit 115 at the start of tooth brushing (in this example, July 1, 2016, exactly 22:00).
(Table 1) Plaque / tartar data table (at the start of brushing)

In the front side (left column) of Table 1, 12 sites in the user's dentition are distinguished from each other. The date and time when plaque / tartar data was acquired is recorded at the top of Table 1 (upper right column). The table body (right column) of Table 1 records information indicating the presence or absence of plaque or calculus corresponding to each part in the dentition. The symbol “-” in Table 1 indicates that no data has been recorded yet.

Next, in step S13 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 sets a timer for counting a predetermined period Δt from the start of the brushing of the tooth surface 99a. The set period Δt set in this timer is a period for determining whether or not only the tartar remains among the plaque and the tartar on the tooth surface 99a of the brushing site (described later). In this example, the set period Δt is set within a range of 3 seconds to 5 seconds to prevent over-polishing.

Subsequently, in step S14 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 functions as a detection unit, and in this example, the tooth is toothed by the technique disclosed in the patent application previously proposed by the applicant (Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-06001). The presence or absence of plaque or calculus on the surface 99a is collectively detected. Specifically, the same processing as described in detail with respect to step S2 in FIG. 4 is performed to detect collectively the presence or absence of plaque or tartar.

Here, if the detection result (detection state) is the absence of plaque or tartar (NO in step S15 in FIG. 5), the process proceeds to step S23 in FIG. The instant lighting of the lamp 140G notifies that there is no plaque or calculus.

Subsequently, in step S24 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 indicates that there is no plaque and calculus in the “plaque / calculus data” table set in the storage unit 115 for the brushing part. Record. Further, in step S25 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 maintains the vibration intensity of the motor 10 at a weak level.

On the other hand, if the detection result (detection state) is the presence of plaque or calculus (YES in step S15 in FIG. 5), the process proceeds to step S16 in FIG. 5, and the control unit 110 is set in the storage unit 115. In the “plaque / tartar data” table, record “with plaque” for the brushing part. This record of “with plaque” actually indicates that there is plaque or calculus at the brushing site.

Subsequently, in step S17 in FIG. 5, the control unit 110 notifies the presence of plaque or tartar by, for example, instantaneous lighting of the red LED lamp 140R by the notification unit 140. Further, in step S18 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 switches the vibration intensity of the motor 10 from a weak level to a strong level so that plaque or tartar is easily removed.

Next, in step S19 in FIG. 5, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the set period Δt set in the timer has elapsed since the start of the brushing for the brushing part. If the set period Δt has not elapsed (NO in step S19 in FIG. 5), the processes in steps S14 to S19 are repeated.

After this, when the set period Δt set in the timer elapses while the detection state of the presence of plaque or calculus is maintained in step S15 in FIG. 5 (YES in step S15 in FIG. 5) (step in FIG. 5). In S19, YES), the control unit 110 works as a determination unit, and determines that tartar is present on the tooth surface 99a.

The reason for this determination is that, as described above, the plaque and calculus that cannot be removed by brushing is the calculus, so that the presence of plaque or calculus is detected (YES in step S15 in FIG. 5). This is because it can be considered that only the tartar remains when the brushing portion has continued for the set period Δt from the start of the brushing. Therefore, according to the electric toothbrush 90, it is possible to determine whether or not plaque has been removed from the plaque and calculus, and only the calculus remains.

Subsequently, in step S20 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 notifies the presence of tartar by instantaneous sound of a buzzer sound instead of turning on the LED lamp by the notification unit 140, for example. In this example, as in the previous example, the notification of the presence of dental calculus (step S20 in FIG. 5) is different from the notification of the presence of dental plaque or calculus (step S17 in FIG. 5). Thus, the user can easily distinguish and recognize the notification of the presence of plaque or calculus and the notification of the presence of calculus. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk that the gums will be excessively polished and the gums will be damaged and bleed or become periodontal.

Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S21 in FIG. 5, and the control unit 110 stores “plaque” to “calculus” in the “plaque / calculus data” table set in the storage unit 115 for the brushing part. Rewrite to and record. Further, in step S22 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 switches the intensity of vibration of the motor 10 from a strong level to a weak level. Thereby, the possibility of being overpolished can be further reduced.

Note that by switching the vibration intensity of the motor 10 from a strong level to a weak level (step S22 in FIG. 5), the notification of the presence of tartar (step S20 in FIG. 5) can be used instead of step S20. Good.

Further, when the detection result (detection state) transitions from the presence or absence of plaque or calculus in step S15 in FIG. 5 within the set period Δt set in the timer (from YES in step S15 in FIG. 5). When the transition is made to NO), the process proceeds to step S23 of FIG. 5, and the control unit 110 notifies that the plaque and tartar are absent by the instantaneous lighting of the green LED lamp 140G by the notification unit 140, for example. .

Here, the transition of the detection result (detection state) from the presence of plaque or calculus to the absence of plaque indicates that there was plaque or calculus on the tooth surface 99a for the brushing site, but the substance (dental It means that the plaque or tartar has been removed by brushing, that is, the substance was plaque of plaque and tartar.

Subsequently, in step S24 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 stores the plaque and calculus in the table of “plaque / calculus data” set in the storage unit 115 from “with plaque” for the brushing site. Rewrite to “None” and record. Further, in step S25 of FIG. 5, the control unit 110 switches the intensity of vibration of the motor 10 from the weak level to the strong level. Thereby, the possibility of being overpolished can be further reduced.

In this way, in the plaque / calculus data table set in the storage unit 115, any of “present plaque”, “with tartar”, and “no presence” in both plaque and tartar for the current brushing site Is recorded (steps S16, S21, S24 in FIG. 5).

When it is determined that there is tartar on the tooth surface 99a while the user is brushing a certain brushing site (YES in step S19 in FIG. 5), the tartar cannot be removed even if brushing is continued further. Therefore, the user should finish brushing the brushing part and brush the other part. Also, when the user is brushing a certain brushing site and the detection state transitions from the presence or absence of plaque or calculus (when the transition from YES to NO in step S15 in FIG. 5), Since there is no plaque or calculus in the brushing site, the user should finish brushing the brushing site and brush the other site. Therefore, after step S22 or step S25 in FIG. 5, the process proceeds to step S26, and the control unit 110 performs notification that prompts the user to change the brushing part by, for example, an instantaneous buzzer sound by the notification unit 140.

This notification prompts the user to finish, for example, brushing the current brushing part and brushing another part. Therefore, the possibility of being overpolished can be further reduced.

It should be noted that step S20 may be omitted in place of the notification of the presence of tartar (step S20 in FIG. 5) by the notification that prompts the user to change the brushing site (step S26 in FIG. 5).

When the user moves the hair 210 of the head unit 4 to another part, the process returns to step S11 in FIG. 5, and the control unit 110 works again as a brushing part detection unit and is currently brushed by the hair 210 of the head part 4. The brushing part which is present is detected. Then, the processes in steps S12 to S26 are repeated.

When the user moves the bristles 210 of the head unit 4 to a brushing site that is already recorded as “with calculus” in the plaque / calculus data table set in the storage unit 115 (step of FIG. 5). There is no need to detect again the presence or absence of plaque or calculus. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S20 in FIG. 5, and the control unit 110 notifies the presence of tartar for the brushing site by, for example, instantaneous sounding of a buzzer sound by the notification unit 140 (step S20 in FIG. 5). / The record of “with calculus” in the table of calculus data is maintained (step S21 in FIG. 5), and the vibration intensity of the motor 10 is maintained at a weak level (step S22 in FIG. 5). And the control part 110 alert | reports prompting the change of a brushing site | part by the instantaneous ringing of the buzzer sound by the alerting | reporting part 140, for example (step S26 of FIG. 5).

In step S27 of FIG. 5, when a certain period (three minutes in this example) has elapsed since the user turned on the power switch S, or when the user turned off the power switch S, the control unit 110 ends the processing. To do.

In this case, at the end of brushing (in this example, July 1, 2016, 22:02), a table of plaque / tartar data as illustrated in the following Table 2 is stored in the storage unit 115. can get.
(Table 2) Dental plaque / calculus data table (at the end of brushing)

Referring to the plaque / tartar data table in Table 2, the user can select, for example, “maxillary right cheek side” and “mandibular anterior tongue side” shown in FIG. It can be recognized that tartar remains on one part. It can be seen that plaque and calculus are “absent” at other sites. Also, it can be seen that at the end of brushing, there was no “plaque” part left.

The plaque / tartar data in Table 2 can be transmitted to an external computer device, for example, the user's own smartphone 600 (see FIG. 8) via the network by the control unit 110 controlling the communication unit 180 (see FIG. 5). Step S28). Thereby, the plaque / tartar data can be used for various purposes.

(System configuration)
FIG. 8 illustrates a configuration of a system (the whole is denoted by reference numeral 700) including the electric toothbrush 90 and the smartphone 600 described above. This system 700 includes an electric toothbrush 90 and a smartphone 600 as a computer device so that they can communicate with each other via a network 900.

The smartphone 600 includes a main body 600M, a control unit 610, a storage unit 620, an operation unit 630, a display 640, a communication unit 680, and a power supply unit 690 mounted on the main body 600M. This smartphone 600 is obtained by installing application software described later on a commercially available smartphone.

The control unit 610 includes a CPU and its auxiliary circuit, controls each unit of the smartphone 600, and executes processing according to the program and data stored in the storage unit 620. For example, based on an instruction input via the operation unit 630, data input from the communication unit 680 is processed, and the processed data is stored in the storage unit 620, displayed on the display 640, or communicated. Or output via the unit 680.

The storage unit 620 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a work area necessary for executing the program by the control unit 610 and a ROM (Read for reading a basic program to be executed by the control unit 610. Only Memory). Further, as a storage medium of an auxiliary storage device for assisting the storage area of the storage unit 620, a semiconductor memory (memory card, SSD (Solid State Drive)) or the like may be used.

The operation unit 630 includes a touch panel provided on the display 640 in this example. A keyboard or other hardware operation device may be included.

The display 640 includes a display screen made up of an LCD (liquid crystal display element) or an organic EL (electroluminescence) display in this example. The display 640 displays various images on the display screen according to control by the control unit 610.

The communication unit 680 is configured to be capable of wireless communication (for example, BT communication, BLE communication, etc.) with the electric toothbrush 90 via the network 900 under the control of the control unit 610.

The power supply unit 690 includes a rechargeable battery in this example, and supplies power to each unit of the smartphone 600.

Suppose that the user installs application software (referred to as “calculus display program”) in advance on the smartphone 600. This tartar display program processes plaque / tartar data from the storage unit 115 of the electric toothbrush 90 to create an image (this is referred to as an “intraoral chart”) representing the state of the user in the oral cavity. belongs to.

Specifically, when the user activates the tartar display program, the communication unit 680 of the smartphone 600 receives plaque / tartar data from the storage unit 115 of the electric toothbrush 90 via the network 900. Subsequently, the control unit 610 works as a display processing unit to process the plaque / tartar data, and for example, as shown in FIG. 9, to create an intraoral chart 641 representing a portion where tartar is present in the user's dentition. To do. The display 640 displays the intraoral chart 641 created by the control unit 610 (step S29 in FIG. 5).

(Display example)
In the intraoral chart 641 of FIG. 9, corresponding to the contents of the plaque / calculus data table in Table 2, in the upper and lower dentitions 98U, 98L, there are other parts (parts without calculus). Marks 98a and 98b are provided for distinction. In this example, these marks 98a and 98b are configured with diagonal lines in the closed region as shown in an example 643. Labels 97a, 97b, 97c, and 97d representing “upper left”, “upper right”, “lower left”, and “lower right” in the dentitions 98U and 98L are displayed around the intraoral chart 641. The user who sees the intraoral chart 641 can intuitively recognize that there is a calculus on the “maxillary right cheek side” and the “mandibular front tongue side” in his / her own dentition. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to see a dentist and receive treatment.

In addition, the mark which shows the site | part which has a tartar is not restricted to the thing which attached | subjected the oblique line, The thing which attached | subjected pointillism or the color different from the color of another site | part may be used.

Here, in the intraoral chart 641 of FIG. 9, the left and right sides of the upper and lower tooth rows 98U and 98L are shown to match the left and right sides of the user's body. In this case, a general user can intuitively recognize a site where tartar is present in his / her dentition.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the left / right reversing switch 642 is displayed together with the intraoral chart 641 on the display 640, and the intraoral chart 641 is reversed left / right by the user's selection (pressing the left / right reversing switch 642). May be displayed. This is because, in the dental field, it is common to represent a patient's dentition as viewed from the patient. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10, the label 97 a representing “upper left” and the label 97 b representing “upper right” are replaced with the label 97 c representing “lower left” as shown in FIG. The sign 97d representing “lower right” is replaced. Thus, when the user visits the dentist and requests removal of tartar, if the intraoral chart in the direction shown in FIG. 10 is shown, communication with the dentist is facilitated.

Also, if there is a portion of “plaque” in the user's dentition at the end of brushing and the information is included in the plaque / calculus data table, the upper and lower teeth in the intraoral chart 641 In the columns 98U and 98L, a portion having plaque may be displayed together with a portion having tartar. In that case, it is desirable that the mark representing the site with plaque is distinguishable from the mark representing the site with tartar.

Also, the intraoral chart 641 may be accumulated in the storage unit 620 of the smartphone 600 in time series for each creation date. In this case, it is assumed that the user can cause the display 640 to sequentially or simultaneously display a plurality of intraoral charts 641 having different creation dates and times by an operation through the operation unit 630 of the smartphone 600. Thereby, the user can recognize the progress that tartar has deposited by referring to those intraoral charts 641.

In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 110 of the electric toothbrush 90 performs the functions of the detection unit and the determination unit, but is not limited thereto. The control unit 610 of the smartphone 600 may execute the functions of the detection unit and the determination unit while performing communication between the electric toothbrush 90 and the smartphone 600 during tooth brushing. In such a case, the configuration of the control unit 110 of the electric toothbrush 90 can be simplified. As a result, the control unit 110 can be configured by, for example, a logic IC (integrated circuit) instead of the CPU. In that case, the notification of the detection result (detection state) of the presence or absence of plaque or calculus and the notification of the presence of calculus are the functions of the smartphone 600, for example, display by the display 640, sound from a speaker (not shown), It is desirable to perform the vibration by a vibrator (not shown).

In order to configure a system combined with the electric toothbrush 90, a device that substantially functions as a computer device such as a tablet terminal or a personal computer may be used instead of the smartphone 600.

The above embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The plurality of embodiments described above can be established independently, but combinations of the embodiments are also possible. In addition, various features in different embodiments can be established independently, but the features in different embodiments can be combined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,600M Main body 4 Head part 15 Acceleration sensor 50 Light emission part 51 1st light-receiving part 52 2nd light-receiving part 90 Electric toothbrush 110,610 Control part 640 Display 641 Oral chart 700 System

Claims (8)

A main body including a head portion having a raised surface on which bristles are erected;
A light emitting unit mounted on the main body and irradiating light through a specific region of the raised surface toward the tooth surface; and a light receiving unit receiving light emitted from the tooth surface by the light through the specific region;
Based on the output of the light receiving unit, a detection unit that collectively detects the presence or absence of plaque or calculus on the tooth surface;
A determination unit for determining the presence of calculus on the tooth surface when the detection state of the presence of plaque or calculus by the detection unit continues for a predetermined period from the start of brushing on the tooth surface; A featured toothbrush. The toothbrush according to claim 1,
The toothbrush characterized in that the detection unit and the determination unit are mounted on the main body. The toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2,
A drive unit that vibrates the head unit for brushing together with the bristles is mounted inside the main body,
A toothbrush comprising a control unit that performs control to weaken the intensity of vibration by the drive unit when the determination unit determines that tartar is present on the tooth surface. In the toothbrush as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3,
A toothbrush comprising a notifying unit for notifying a detection state by the detecting unit or a determination result by the determining unit. The toothbrush according to claim 4,
When the determination unit determines that there is calculus on the tooth surface, or when the detection state by the detection unit transitions from the presence of plaque or calculus to the absence, the notification unit A toothbrush which performs notification which urges change of a brushing part brushed with the above-mentioned hair. In the toothbrush as described in any one of Claim 1 to 5,
A brushing site detector for detecting a brushing site brushed with the hair in the dentition;
A toothbrush comprising a storage unit that stores data indicating whether or not there is calculus on the tooth surface by the determination unit for each brushing part. The toothbrush according to claim 6,
A toothbrush comprising a communication unit capable of transmitting data stored in the storage unit to the outside of the main body. A system comprising the toothbrush according to claim 7 and a computer device provided outside the body of the toothbrush,
The computer device is
A communication unit capable of receiving data from the storage unit of the toothbrush;
A display processing unit that processes the data from the storage unit and creates an image representing a portion of the dentition having tartar;
And a display for displaying an image created by the display processing unit.

Images